KARNATAKA Political Crisis Deepens With 14 MLAs Quitting Ruling Coalition

KARNATAKA Political Crisis Deepens With 14 MLAs Quitting Ruling CoalitionWITH as many as  14  lawmakers ditching the ruling  JD-S Congress  Government in Karnataka  and many more remaining critical of  its style of functioning , its longevity can’t be predicted by any political pundit. Maybe the leading lights of the two camps will succeed temporarily in brokering  peace by offering plum positions  to the rebels and trying to hoodwink the public faulting the saffron party, the largest grouping  in the state legislative assemblies, for orchestrating the mass  defections .What cannot be overlooked  is the contradiction  and  conflicts  among  the partners of the cosmetic alliance with the sole aim to keep away the largest party from power ever since the coalition government was formed with fan fare on May 18,2018 . Their proponents and cheer leaders have also miserably failed in their mission to make “BJP and R S S Mukt Bharat” in the recently concluded parliamentary elections. Denying any role in the ongoing political crisis almost paralysing the administration in the southern state, BJP says the alliance does not require outside force for collapsing as it has adequate internal conflicts and inconsistencies. This alliance was the reason for it overwhelming majority in parliament, says a BJP Spokesperson. Meanwhile, 10 disgruntled MLAs, who flew to Mumbai on Saturday night, are staying at Sofitel hotel in the metropolis. As Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is arriving from the USA, the MLAs had called on Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and apprised him of their assessment of the political situation and the reasons for compelling them to quit the shaky government. The leadership of both the parties was taken by surprise on Saturday by their move. They submitted their letters of resignation to the Speaker’s   office and then called on the Governor before ten of them departed for Mumbai by chartered flight. Media report JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda said he was preparing for the upcoming local body elections and that the ball was now in the Speaker’s court. The Speaker will resume duty on Tuesday when he will go through the resignation letters. Deve Gowda and some other leaders suspect involvement of former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in instigating the disgruntled MLAs for quitting. Siddaramiah, however, said that the episode has not ended as the resignations are yet to be accepted yet. He asserted that the government in Karnataka would continue. Anyway, it will be interesting to watch what role the Assembly Speaker K R Romesh Kumar will play.